Box-lid raiser and fastener



(No Model.)

C. L. FEINBERG. BOX LID RASER AND FASTENER.

No. 545,277. Patented Aug. 27,1895.

WTNESSES.'

Uivirnn dramas Olli/KRL IS L. FEINBERG, OF BROOKLYN, NEV YORK.

BOX-LED BAISER AND FASTENER.

SPECIFICATION' forming part of Letters Patent N0. 545,277, dated August27, 1895.

Aynliontion filed May 2l., 1895. Serial No. 550,079. (No model.)

To @ZZ wf/tom, it may concern.-

Be it known that I, CHARLES L. FEINBERG, of Brooklyn, in the county ofKings and State of New York, have invented a new and ImprovedSpring-Acting Box-Lid Raiser and Fastener, of which the following is afull, clear, and exact description.

The invention relatesto spring-acting boX lid raisers and fasteners,wherein means are provided for automatically raising the lid of the boxupon the release of the fastening device; andthe object of the inventionis to combine with the fastening device springacting mechanism, wherebythe said au tomatic raising of the lid will be effected by the releaseof the fastening device'and simultaneously therewith.

.To these ends the invention consists in certain novel features ofconstruction and combinations and arrangements of parts, as will be morefully described hereinafter, and finally embodied in the claims.

\ Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part ofthis specification, in which similar characters of reference indicatecorresponding parts in all the figures.

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a cigar or other box equipped with myimprovements and showing the lid raised. Fig. 2 is an end elevation ofthe box, partly in section, and showing the lid slightly raised. Fig. 3is a detail sectional view similar to the sectional part of Fig. 2 andshowing the lid closed and secured by my improvement. Fig. et isaseotional view on the line 4 i of Fig. 3. Fig. 5 is a detailperspective view of the spring in a modified form of my invention. Fig.6 is a sectional view ou the line G G of Fig. 7, also illustrating thesaid modified form; and Fig. 7 is a detail section taken at right anglesto the line (3 G and further illustrating the medification. y

The reference numeral 10 indicates the body of the box, which is hereshown to be of that class generally used for cigars, and 11 the lidthereof. The lid l1 is hinged to the back portion of the body 10, asusual, and is capable of swinging over the top of the box to close thesaine. Fixed to the lfree end of the lid 11 and at the middle thereof isthe catch 1:2, which is secured to the lid,as shown in the drawings, andwhich projects downwardly therefrom for a distance equal to aboutone-half the height of the box. Formed on the catch 12 and near theupper end thereof, is a shoulder 13 which has its upper side extended atright angles to the catch, while its lower side is inclined, so as toform a means for snapping lthe catch into engagement with a keeper,which Will be described' hereinafter. It will be seen that the catch 12does not project perpendicularly from the lid 11, but that it projectstherefrom at a slightly acute angle, and the purposeof this is to permitthe catch to operate with the keeper-tube 11i, which is located on theinnerside of the box. The tube 14 is disposed vertically at the innerportion of the front side of the box and midway the same, it beinglocated Within a slot 15 formed in the box and having its lowerextremity formed with a tongue 1G which lies dat against the inner sideof the box and is secured thereto by means of apin or other fasteningdevice. The upper end of the tube 14 is also provided with ears 16 whichproject out horizontally from the tube and on each side thereof, andwhich are adapted to be secured to the upper edge of the side to whichthe tube is fastened. By these means the tube is securely fastened inplace, and by reason of its being countersunk in the side of the box itspresence does not reduce the interior side thereof.

Formed in the upper portion of the tube 14; and at the inner sidethereof is a recess 17, which has a horizontal upper edge adapted toengage with the square portion of the projection 13. This engagement iseffected as the catch 12 is received into the tube, and as the inclinedface of the projection 13 engages with the upper inner edge of the tube14 the side of the box to which said tube is fastened will be caused tomove slightly inwardly, so that the projection may pass the upper edgeof the tube and snap into the recess 17.

18 indicates an expansivo spring, which is located within the tube 14,and which has its lower end permanently secured therein by any approvedmeans. This spring` when extended, projects to a point equal to theopening 17, as may be seen by vreference to Fig. 2 of the draw ings, andvwhen engaged with the lower end of the catch 12 will be compressed intothe lower portion of the tube 14. The spring 18 is also When it isdesired to close the lid it shouldv be swung on its hinges, so that thecatch 12 will be projected into the tube 17, whereupon the lower end ofthe catch will engage with the spring 18aud compress the same.Simultaneously with this operation the inclined face of the projection13 will engage with the upper end of the tube 1i and force the side ofthe box to which said tube is fastened inwardly to a degree sufficientto permit the projection to spring past the upper end of the tube andfinally snap into the opening 17. The fastening of the box lid will nowbe effected. It will be observed that by reason of the acute dispositionof the catch l2 and the enlarged size of the tube 14 the catch may movefreely into the tube and without binding against any part thereof,notwithstanding the are in which the outer end ofthe lid 11 must move.

When it is desired to open the box-lid, all that will be necessary is topress the side of the box-body which carries the tube 14: inwardly to adegree sufficient to disengage the shoulder ot' the projection 13 fromthe upper portion of; the opening 17,". When this has been effected thespring 1S will be permitted to expand and will, acting upon the catch12, throw the lid open, as shown in Fig. 1.

The modified form of my invention, illustrated. in Figs. 5, 6 and 7,consists of a catch 19 secured to the lid 11 and operating similarly tothe catch 12 ot the preferred form. The catch 19 is, however, muchshorter than the catch 12, and has a projection 2O at its lower end,which comprises a shoulder and an inclined portion similar to those ofthe projection 13.

21 indicates a sheet-metal plate, which is bent to forni two parts,disposed at right angles to each other, and this angular plate is madeto embrace the upper and inner edge of the front side of the box, itsends being provided with openings, through which screws or otherfastening devices may pass, as is illustrated in Figs. 5 and 6. Formedin the inner side of the box-body is the recess 22,which receives aspring-tongue 23 of the plate 2l. This tongue 23 is formed integral withthe plate and by'stamping or cutting therefrom, it constituting a partof the horizontal portion of the plate 21 and being located outward fromthe vertical portion of the plate and within the recess 22. It will beseen that as the lid 1l is lowered, so that' the catch 19 will projectthrough the opening formed in the horizontal portion of the plate 2l andengage with the tongue 23, the inclined face of the projection 2O willengage with the verti- 1 cal portion of the plate and spring the side ofthe box inwardly to permit the projection to pass outward of saidvertical portion and snap under the lower edge of the same. Thisposition is illustrated in Figs. G and 7 of the drawings. When it isdesired to disconnect the lid from the body of the box the side carryingthe plate 2l should be sprung inwardly, as has been explained inconnection with Figs. l, 2, 3, and 4, so that the rvertical portion ofthe plate 2l will be disengaged from the shoulderon the projection 20,and the spring-tongue 25. will then act upon the catch 19 and cause thelid of the box to be thrown open.

It will be observed that my invention einn ploys a spring to effect theautomatic raising of the lid, and that the disconnection of the catchdevice is effected by springing inwardly the yielding front side of thebox. The essence of the invention lies, therefore, in pro .viding apeculiarly-constructed keeper and j in securing the saine to the innerside of a i yielding box front, so that it may be engaged or disengagedwith or from a rigid catch by reason of the yielding character of thebox side.

Having thus described my invention, I

j claim as new and desire to secure by Letters 1 Patent- 1. A springacting box lid raiser and fasn tener, consisting of a catch fixed to thebox lid, a keeper fixed to the adjacent portion ot the box body, and aspring combined with the keeper and capable of raising the lid upon thedisengagement of the catch and keeper,

that portion of the body which carries the keeper being yielding so thatit may be moved to engage or disengage the catch and keeper,substantially as described.

2. A box, having secured to its lid a catch, the same consisting of arod formed with a projection thereon, the body portion of the box havingsecured thereto and adjacent to the catch a tube receiving the catch andformed with an opening therein, and an expansive spring located withinthe tube, substantially as described.

CHARLES L. FEINB ERG.

Vitnesses:

OHAs. SEDGWICK, J. L. MCAULIFFE.

